"Luckiest Man in the World" - U2

Promotional Release

Track Listing:

Background Information

On November 22, 2024, U2 released the 20th anniversary editions of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb which includes a shadow album of demo tracks, that have more recently been polished up for release called How to Re-Assembler an Atomic Bomb. The track “Luckiest Man in the World” is one of the tracks that is part of both releases. And on the day the anniversary sets were released, “Luckiest Man in the World” was sent to radio for promotion. Two versions of the song were sent, the longer version found on the album at 06:13 in length, and a shorter version, edited for radio at 04:10 in length. The shorter edit removes a bit of the instrumentation at the start of the song, and fades out early, cutting off the last verse of the song. Both versions of the song are getting airplay around the world, but it appears the shorter edit is getting more play in Europe at this time.

The song was delivered direct to radio stations via electronic systems. The accompanying art is that of the album cover for How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb. Also on November 22, 2024, a lyric video was released for the song using the longer mix. It was posted at U2’s YouTube page. “Luckiest Man in the World” is the fourth song released for promotion from the album, following “Country Mile“, “Picture of You (X+W)“ and “Happiness“. On October 14, a one minute clip of “Luckiest Man in the World” was shared via YouTube and Facebook. The short clip of the song was intended for use in short reels, created by fans, to promote the release of the album.

“Luckiest Man in the World” is a new title for a familiar song. Ahead of the original release of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb in 2004, a song by the name of “Mercy” leaked. That song’s title was identified via a Blender magazine article where U2 had discussed the song, at that time planned for inclusion on the album. “As it stands, the album is three seconds shy of an hour and, as Bono says, “too much of a good thing is a bad thing,” so drastic measures need to be taken. “I have a theory,” Mullen begins, and a reverential silence descends as the drummer — traditionally the first band member to be shouted down in these situations — states his case. After just five minutes, it has been unanimously decided that the track “Mercy,” a six-and-a-half-minute outpouring of U2 at its most uninhibitedly U2-ish, must go. Hence a song that any self-respecting band would be proud to call a single becomes what Bono immediately anoints “the best B-side you’ve ever heard.” There are hints as to how close “Mercy” came to being on the final album. In the deluxe booklet that came with the album in 2004, the lyrics from “Mercy” are displayed on one page, while in another spot the title can be seen in the handwritten track listing for the album.

The leaked version of the song became a fan favourite. In 2010, during the U2360 tour, the band surprised fans with a live debut of the song, however, with very different lyrics. One recording of the song appears on the 2010 EP “Wide Awake in Europe“. Fourteen years after the official release as a live track, we finally have a studio version of the song. The new 2024 version includes much of the music and lyrics from the original leaked track, however, more recently the band has completed some work on these songs, and there is evidence on this new version of additional lyrics and changed lyrics that have been added.

Liner Notes

Luckiest Man in the World:
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono. Produced by Jacknife Lee. Additional production by Duncan Stewart. Recorded by Carl Glanville and Duncan Stewart. Assisted by Chris Heaney. Mixed by Jacknife Lee and Duncan Stewart. Additional Guitar by Bono.

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